STATEMENT OF FAITH
PREAMBLE
This
Statement of Faith is a consensus reached after several years of
discussion. It should be seen as a
confession, showing how the teachings of the Scriptures are currently
interpreted and understood by the congregations of the Evangelical Mennonite
Conference.
These
are the fundamental beliefs of the Christian faith as they have been discerned
in the Scriptures. While this statement
reflects convictions inherited from the Anabaptist-Mennonite theology of the
16th-century Reformation, the Bible has been regarded as the final authority on
what is to be believed.
This
statement has been designed to create clarity, to give direction and to provide
the basis for fellowship and working together.
Because of the confessional nature of this statement, it will be normal
to continue to reflect on the accuracy with which it reflects the teachings of
the Scriptures.
1. THE
BIBLE
We
believe that the Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments, are the inspired and
infallible Word of God. They are the
supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and conduct (Matt. 5:18;
24:35; II Tim. 3:16,17; II Peter 1:16-21).
2. GOD
We
believe in only one God, eternal, infinite and unchanging. He alone is the Creator, the Sustainer and
Redeemer. He exists and reveals himself
in three persons: Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. All persons in this triunity are fully and equally God (Gen. 1:26; 17:1; Deut.
6:4; Psalm 90:2; 139:7-12; 147:5; Isa. 40:28; 44:6;
57:15; Mal. 3:6; Matt. 11:25;
28:19;
Mark 12:29; John 6:27; 8:41-59; 15:26; 16:13,14; 17:1,8,18,23; Acts 5:3,4; Rom.
15:6; I Cor. 2:10,11; 8:4; II Cor. 13:14; Heb. 1:8,12).
2.1 God the Father
We
believe in God, the Father of all believers and, in a special sense, the Father
of Jesus Christ. He has revealed himself
in nature, in the Scriptures and especially in the person of Jesus Christ (Gen.
1:1-2:3; Deut. 6:4; Psalm 47:1-9; 139:1-12; Mal. 2:10; Matt. 11:26; Mark 14:36;
Luke 22:42; John 1:8,9; Acts 17:28; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 4:4-6; Titus
3:4-6).
2.2 God the Son
We
believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He became man , being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born
of the virgin Mary. He is fully God and
fully man, yet without sin. We believe
that Jesus Christ, the divinely appointed Substitute, provided the only
atonement for sin by shedding his blood. Through his death he defeated the
Devil, enabling people to be set free and to be reconciled to God. He arose from the dead, bringing life and
hope. He ascended to the right hand of
the Father. There he rules as Lord and
lives to intercede for those who come to God by him (Isa.
7:14; 53:5,6; Matt. 1:20-23; 28:5; Luke 1:35; John 1:1,14; Rom. 1:4; 5:8-10;
6:2-4; I Cor. 15:20; II Cor. 5:21; Eph. 2:4,5,; Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:9,10,14;
7:25).
2.3 God the Spirit
We
believe that the Holy Spirit exists eternally as one of the persons of the
Trinity, co-equal with the Father and the Son.
He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of the judgment to
come. He indwells believers and is the
guarantee of their salvation. He
encourages, comforts and guides them into the truth. He empowers for service and enables believers
to live holy lives (Matt. 28:19; John 16:7,8,13; Acts 1:8; 5:3,4; Rom. 8:1-4; I
Cor. 3:16; II Cor. 3:3,17; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 1:13,14).
3. THE CREATION
We
believe that God created everything as revealed in Scripture (Gen. 1-2; Ex.
20:11; Neh. 9:6; Job 38-39; Psalm 8; Mark 10:6; John
1:3; Col. 1:15-17; Rom. 11:33-36; Heb. 1:1-3).
4. THE
DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN RACE
We
believe that God created the human race, both male and female, in his own
image. We believe, therefore, in the
sanctity of all human life, regardless of age, ability or stage of development
(Gen. 1:26,27; 2:7,16,17; Ex. 20:13; Psalm 139:13-16).
5. THE
FALL OF THE HUMAN RACE
We
believe our first parents, in unbelief and disobedience,
fell into sin by their free choice. This
broke their fellowship with God and brought the whole human race into the same
state of sin and separation (Gen. 1:26,27; 2:7,16,17;3:1-24; John 6:44; Rom.
3:23; 5:12; Eph. 2:1-10).
6. SATAN
We
believe Satan is a personal spirit being.
He heads the kingdom of all evil and opposes God and all that is holy,
pure and just (Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 10:17-21; Eph. 6:10-18; I Tim. 4:1; Rev.12).
The
destiny of Satan will be the lake of fire, which God prepared for him and his
angels (Matt. 25:41; Rom. 8:38,39; Gal. 4:8; I Cor. 2:8; II Cor. 4:4; Eph.
1:19-23; 2:1-3; 3:10; 6:10-18; Col. 1:13; 2:14,15; Heb. 2:14; Rev. 12;
20:7-10).
7. SALVATION
We
believe people are saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The basis of this salvation is Christ’s life,
his atoning death and his resurrection.
Justification, the new birth and the transformed life come about through
repentance and faith in Christ. His
atonement covers children until they reach the age of accountability (II Sam.
12:22,23; Matt. 18:1-14; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 24:47; John 1:9-13; 3:3-8; 15-18;
Acts 4:12; 20:21; Eph. 2:1-10; James 2:14-24).
We
believe it is the privilege of all Christians to know that they have passed
from death to life and that God can keep them from falling. Faith and obedience are essential in
maintaining this assurance and growth in grace (John 8:31,32;
Rom. 8:14-17; Gal. 3:11; II Cor. 5:21; I Peter 1:5-11; I John 3:14; 5:13).
8. DISCIPLESHIP
AND NONCONFORMITY
We
believe that our relationship to the Saviour is to be
an unconditional commitment to discipleship.
Discipleship is the total life of the believer patterned after the life
and death of our Lord (Matt. 4:16-22; Acts 11:26; 26:28; Rom. 5:5; 12:1,2,7-12;
13:8-14; II Cor. 6:14-7:1; Eph. 1:1-10; 4:32-5:2; Col. 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; I
Peter 2:13-24; 4:16).
9. THE
LIFE OF PEACE
We
believe in the life of peace. We are
called to walk in the steps of the Lamb of God, the Prince of Peace. Everything about his life, his teachings and
his redemptive death on the cross, summons us to a life of nonviolence.
As
nonresistant Christians, we cannot support war, whether as officers, soldiers,
combatants or noncombatants, or direct financial contributors. Instead of taking up arms, we should do
whatever we can to lessen human distress and suffering, even at the risk of our
own lives. In all circumstances, we
should be peacemakers and ministers of reconciliation (Isa.
53:3-9; Matt. 5-7; 28:18-20; John 18:36; Rom. 12-13; Phil. 2:3,4; Col. 2:14,15;
Heb. 1:1,2; 2:14; I Peter 2:9, 20-23).
10. THE CHURCH
We
believe all who have experienced new life in Christ belong to his church. All who repent and make a faith commitment to
Jesus Christ as Lord are united to his holy church by the baptism of the Holy
Spirit (Matt. 16:18; 28:18-20; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8; 16:31; 17:30; 20:21; Rom.
8:20; I Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:25; 4:19; Eph. 1:22,23; 4:5; Col. 1:18; 3:1-4; I
Peter 3:21).
We
believe God calls the church to conform to the image of Christ, to care for its
members and to evangelize all people.
Those who are a part of the church seek to
1) live holy lives,
considering their bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit and denying themselves
and their lusts (Mark 8:34,35; Rom. 13:14; I Cor. 6:19,20; II Thess. 3:6; Titus
2:11-14).
2) avoid entering
into binding relationships with unbelievers (
3) exercise proper stewardship of their
abilities, time and possessions (I Cor. 16:1,2; II
Cor. 8-9).
11. ORDINANCES
An
ordinance is a symbolic observance, instituted according to Scripture, which is
to be administered in and by the church as a visible sign of spiritual truth.
We
believe Christ instituted three ordinances:
water baptism, the Lord’s Supper and footwashing
(Matt. 28:18-20; John 13:1-17; I Cor. 11:20-32).
11.1 Believer’s Water Baptism
We
believe a Christian should be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and
the Holy Spirit. To qualify for baptism,
one must repent of sin and by faith accept Jesus Christ a
s Lord and Saviour.
Water baptism represents the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the time of
conversion and the washing of regeneration which the believer has experienced. It is an act of obedience which identifies
the believer with the
11.2 The
Lord’s Supper
We
believe that Christians are to celebrate the Lord’s Supper as instituted by
Christ. The elements - the bread and the
cup - symbolize the body of Christ and his shed blood.
With
this celebration, Christians call to mind Christ’s suffering for the sins of
the whole human race and proclaim the Lord’s death until he returns to take his
followers to himself. It involves
fellowship, self
examination, testimony, confession, praise and thanksgiving. Christians should examine their own
relationship to God and to other people before participating in this commemoration (Matt.
26:26-29; I Cor. 10:16,17; 11:17-34; Eph. 2:11-22; Heb. 9:12, 25-28; 1 John
2:1,2)
11.3 Footwashing
We
believe in the practice of footwashing. When Jesus washed the feet of the disciples
he gave the church an example to follow.
Footwashing is an expression of humility, love
and equality. It symbolizes cleansing
from sin and the Christian’s commitment to a lifestyle of servanthood. When we accept the washing of our feet by
other Christians, we demonstrate that we accept Jesus’ ministry to us (John
13:1-20; I Tim 5:10).
12. THE RESURRECTION
We
believe Jesus Christ rose bodily from the dead.
All, believers
and unbelievers, will be raised from the dead as well, the
believers to the resurrection of life and the unbelievers to the resurrection of
condemnation. We also believe that
people already enter the eternal state at the time of death. The righteous go into the presence of their
Lord and the unrighteous into conscious suffering (Dan. 12:2; Luke 16:19-31; 23:43; John
5:28,29; 20:20, 24-29; Acts 24:15; I Cor. 15; Phil 1:19-26; Rev. 20:11-15).
13. THE RETURN AND FINAL TRIUMPH OF CHRIST
We
believe in the personal, visible, bodily return of Jesus Christ. This is the blessed hope of believers. Christ’s return will be the occasion of the
resurrection of the dead and the eternal separation of the just and the
unjust. Everything will be brought into
the subjection of his authority and rule as his eternal kingdom is realized
(Matt. 24:44; 25:31-46; John 14:1-6; Acts 1:11; I Cor. 15:19-28; I Thess.
4:13-18; Titus 2:11-14; Heb. 10:37; II Peter 3:3-13; Rev. 20-22).
At
his return, Christ will judge all people.
After the judgment, the righteous will be with God, the unrighteous in
hell. Death will be destroyed, and Satan
and his angels will be thrown into the lake of fire. Christ will hand over the kingdom to God the
Father, after destroying all dominion, authority and power. Then the righteous will reign with Christ forever
(Matt. 25:31-46; John 5:22,23; I Cor. 15:20-28).